From $40K Goals to $90K First Year in Real Estate

Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from not knowing what’s “realistic”… and going for it anyway. In this episode, we break down what it really looks like to start in real estate, the mistakes no one warns you about, and how one decision can completely change your financial future.

🎙️ In this episode:
• Starting real estate with zero expectations
• Making $90K in your first year
• The truth about HUD homes and early deals
• Why real estate is harder than it looks
• Transitioning into new construction
• The importance of mentors and teams
• Costly mistakes (losing earnest money)
• Balancing work, family, and success
• First house flip success story

🧠 What you'll learn:
• Why unrealistic goals can actually help you win
• How to generate leads when starting from nothing
• The biggest mistakes new agents make
• Why joining a team can fast-track your growth
• How to think long-term in real estate
• The mindset needed to succeed in sales

⏱️ CHAPTERS / TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Intro
00:08 First experience in real estate
01:01 Setting unrealistic goals
04:18 First year: $90K success
05:00 Finding leads (Trulia, HUD deals)
06:35 Work-life balance struggles
07:27 Handling transactions solo
08:14 Why transaction coordinators matter
09:27 Switching to new construction
10:03 Going full-time in real estate
10:50 First house flip success
13:26 Lessons from failed deals
14:07 Advice for new agents
15:09 Why real estate is harder than it looks
17:26 Costly mistake: losing earnest money

📢 About the Podcast
The Anything & Everything Podcast dives into real conversations about life, business, mindset, and the experiences that shape who we become. Hosted by Matt Reyna, this show brings authentic stories and valuable lessons you can actually apply.

📌 Connect With Matt Reyna
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mattreyna2023/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matt.reyna.12
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mattreynaspodcast

#podcast #realestate #realestateagent #entrepreneur #mattreyna #anythingandeverything #realestatetips #businessmindset #sales #motivation

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Well, how was it when you first started then real estate? Was it like um did it take a while to get going?

SPEAKER_00 0:08

No, actually, that's the crazy part. So while I was there at um the small boutique brokerage, um Dan was very like he was very he was such a positive broker, like sometimes a little too much because I felt like you know he would hype things up and they were really not like that, but that's just who he was, you know. I'm like, yeah, I don't know if I'm gonna make that much, Dan, but I love it, you know? So we would get like uh like team meetings and we would put down like everybody's goals like for the year, like how much do you want to make, if that's an amount or units, you know? And I was so new and fresh. I like I didn't know what a realistic number would look like selling homes.

SPEAKER_01 0:54

Okay, so at that time, selling X amount of homes and getting X amount of money, what would you have been ecstatic with? Punagram?

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Well, no, this is the funny part, okay? So we were in a meeting, and um, mind you, I would okay, so Dan at the time, he was a HUD broker. I don't know if you know.

SPEAKER_01 1:13

No.

SPEAKER_00 1:14

So HUD is more like um like so an FHA loan that would get you know foreclosed, it would go into HUD. It'll become a HUD because um now it's like part like it's owned by the government. So you would get it at a much discount price. They would go into an auction. So HUD would be an auction. So they would tell you at the time, it would tell you, and I don't quite remember exactly what it was, but you would go to a website, it would be a HUD website, and they would tell you so-and-so address one, two, three, Main Street, it's gonna go for auction. Um, it's gonna be open to first-time home buyers. And then after that, if it doesn't sell for first-time home buyers, it goes to investors.

SPEAKER_01 1:58

Okay, I've been on that side of it.

SPEAKER_00 2:00

Okay, so that type of thing. Yeah, you know, so contract-wise, that's all I've known. Like, I was learning how to do HUD contracts. And the realtors that would work there at the time, they're like, that's harder than an actual contract. I was gonna say that's what I love, man. I was like, that's all I know how to do HUD contracts at the time.

SPEAKER_01 2:18

And how long would these take?

SPEAKER_00 2:20

Not long.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

No, they're fast. Okay, cool.

SPEAKER_00 2:23

Uh, but you know, as a receptionist, I couldn't give a lot of information because I didn't have my license. So that was also a thing that I had to like, I was thinking, well, I'm gonna get my license because of that. And then honestly, there were some agents, I'm not even gonna name names, but they motivated me. They weren't the best agents, and because they weren't the best agents, that's what motivated me I was about to say to be a real I was about to say, if this guy could do it, I could do it. That's that was my thing.

SPEAKER_01 2:50

I'm like, man.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

Wow, okay, well, I can make that type of money because I would see the checks. I'm like, what? Wow, and they're rude. And I'm and I'm being nice.

SPEAKER_01 3:05

What type of checks would you see that made you say, like, okay, this this is what I'm gonna do?

SPEAKER_00 3:09

Well, mind you, I was minimum wage, okay? So I wasn't making a lot of money. So to me, six, seven thousand dollars, a check.

SPEAKER_01 3:16

A transaction, oh yeah, it's sometimes 35.

SPEAKER_00 3:18

And I would get and I would see them pretty quickly, like, you know, this person would make this much, this much. I'm like, they make this type of money.

SPEAKER_01 3:27

When I was at Armadillo, they were paying me 1.75, right? And then I'd I'd always look at the contracts and I'd be reading like everything in the contracts. I'd be reading it, and then I'd see that the realtors would get 3% and I'd be oh. And I'm like, Yeah. And I was like, he didn't even do anything. I was like, I did all the work, and I would I was and I was like, it kind of planted that seed in my mind that, oh, that's what I'm gonna do. I've always I've had those, those, those times, many times in my life, when I saw something and I kind of figured it out, and I'm like, that's what I'm gonna do. You know what I'm saying? So that was definitely.

SPEAKER_00 4:03

And then anyway, so we were at a team meeting and you would write your goals, and I didn't know, like I said, I didn't I didn't know like what was like the norm. So for me, even making $35,000, $40,000 a year.

unknown 4:18

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 4:18

And then when I told everybody my goal, they're like, and my my broker at the time is like, girl, that's like four homes. You're good. And I'm like, really? Well, that first year I ended up making uh very close to $90,000.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

Wow.

SPEAKER_00 4:32

First year in real estate.

SPEAKER_01 4:33

How many transactions?

SPEAKER_00 4:35

I don't remember the number, I just remember the amount.

SPEAKER_01 4:38

So okay, so this is obviously like a you bust your own, like you're out of your own stratosphere. And what are you thinking at this point in your life?

SPEAKER_00 4:49

Honestly, I got super addicted to the thrill of like, oh my God, I next year I'm gonna make more and more, you know, and then it started becoming like so. When I first started, I don't know if you remember Trulia. Trulia was before Zillow, and then Zillow bought out Trulia. Sure. So I didn't have a lot of money, but then I was like, I need to invest to get some type of leads. Like the office leads weren't the best leads, and mind you, they were HUD leads. Okay, you know, and some of these HUDs were like $40,000, $30,000. I'm really not making a lot of money selling those type of homes, which is fine. If I needed to help, I needed to help somebody, I would do it.

SPEAKER_01 5:28

Not only that, but it's a lot of legwork for the transaction.

SPEAKER_00 5:31

Well, for me, to be honest, it was it was just so easy for me to do HUD at the time. But anyway, but my focus was like, no, I want to just not just sell HUD. I want to sell, you know, regular.

SPEAKER_01 5:42

Definitely.

SPEAKER_00 5:43

Um, and at the time too, um Rico.

SPEAKER_01 5:47

Rico Suave?

SPEAKER_00 5:48

Rico Suave. We always say Rico Suave. Um, he was a realtor there also at the brokerage where I was at. And um he helped me out a lot too.

SPEAKER_01 5:58

Really?

SPEAKER_00 5:59

Yes, he did. He was he was amazing. I love him to death. Um, and um he would be the one like, okay, how do you do a regular contract? Like, help me, you know, because Dan was always busy and he was sometimes he wouldn't be in the office. Um, so he helped me out a lot. So when I did this the first year, I was like, oh my God. So for the first five years, I hit it pretty hard. Good. I really did. I wasn't really home, which I kind of felt bad because, you know, my kids, but I always tell them, if you want that PlayStation, you know? So they understood. My kids are so good, but they were so good. They still are.

SPEAKER_01 6:35

Um and was it a natural fit for you as far as like being involved in the transaction, the temperament of your clients, working with other agents, facilitating the deal, all of that stuff. Because a lot of people don't realize that that's actually the meat and potatoes of real estate.

SPEAKER_00 6:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:51

People are just like, oh man, I'm showing the house and I'm gonna sell it. But I tell people that has nothing to do with that has nothing to do with real estate.

SPEAKER_00 6:56

That's like the, you know, starter, right?

SPEAKER_01 6:59

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

Um, I think I there was a point where I had to let go. I was very like, I want to do my transactions, I want to make sure that I have all the documents that I need. So I was really doing everything. I was doing the showings and then I was doing the paperwork, and I was doing like it was a lot to the point where I was staying up one, two in the morning, uploading documents for me to get paid, right? Everything at the last minute, money so on.

SPEAKER_01 7:27

You know what? You remember we had a conversation about um a transaction coordinator? Yeah, I remember that too. And you were like, dude, like if it's gonna streamline your processes, do it and it's gonna take down your stress level, do it. You're like X amount of money per transaction if you're paying them. Is it worth that to me? And I was like, definitely, yes, you know, and and honestly, I I don't I don't I don't do it either because right, you can't go back, and not to mention, man, it's like I'm not what side of the brain is that? I'm that's not the way that I am. I just I I don't like even I can do it, but it's just right, it's a lot easier if I just let somebody else take care of it.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

Yeah, and honestly, it just now you're in front of people, you're not, you know. Oh my god, it was the worst.

SPEAKER_01 8:14

And that's what I tell new agents.

SPEAKER_00 8:15

It was like controlling for me. It was more control, like, is she gonna get the right signatures? Is is she gonna really, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 8:22

Like I was like, but oh yeah, you just gotta, you know.

SPEAKER_00 8:26

That was good.

SPEAKER_01 8:26

Yeah, so I mean, that I know that you can I I want to have my hands on a lot of things as well, but at the same time, there's only so much that you could do, you know.

SPEAKER_00 8:36

Right. And then um, so I think the hardest part when it comes to how I started getting, you know, more familiar and it got a little easier for me. Maybe going in maybe three the fourth year, maybe four, fourth year, yeah. Um, but by the time the fifth year, I was like, okay, well, um new construction is really where it's at. That's how I saw it, because I thought it was easier. I didn't have to worry about the contract. I didn't have to worry about all those documents, right? And not only that, I feel clients will will feel more um, how can I say, um, they wouldn't worry about the house falling apart, even though it wasn't falling apart. But they feel like any little inspection, anything comes out on the inspection report, they feel like the house is falling apart.

SPEAKER_01 9:27

Definitely.

SPEAKER_00 9:27

New construction, they're like, oh, it's new, and if something comes back, they're gonna get it fixed. Voila, you know, it's funny. It's like a peace of mind.

SPEAKER_01 9:34

Yeah, definitely. I mean, the warranties, um, all of that stuff. Right. And that was part of our pitch as far as in in new home sales.

SPEAKER_00 9:42

Same.

SPEAKER_01 9:43

I would always say, like, advocate for new home sales. And I think people know that I'm just a big, you know, like, you know, advocate of that because I bought a new home, I sold them, and I just think that that is the way to go. You know, uh, I mean, if you can, definitely, you definitely entertain that or as new a home as you could possibly get. So it just kind of checks off all by the way.

SPEAKER_00 10:03

I remember so Dan at the time when I had just gotten my license, I would tell him, like, I think I'm gonna do it part-time because it was hard for me to let go of that weekly check, even though it wasn't a lot. But to me, it was kind of like steady, right? He was like, Marisol, that's not gonna work.

SPEAKER_01 10:21

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 10:21

He's like, if you're gonna be an agent, you have to go full time. He goes, You need to talk to Hubby. He goes, and you need to tell him you will not be home. And I'm like, I don't know about that, you know. I don't know what he's gonna say. So he was very supportive, and he's like, Okay, go for it, go full time. So I I did it, and it was the best decision for me at the time. And um, after the fifth year, I started doing the flipping.

SPEAKER_01 10:50

Ah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

I don't know if you remember that. I do remember. I did my first flip was a success. Like it was like I was like, what? This is easy.

SPEAKER_01 11:00

That's that's exactly what happened to me, right? Yeah, I bought it.

SPEAKER_00 11:05

Yeah, it was so easy. I I bought, and that's because we were just driving around the neighborhood. We saw the sign. It wasn't on it wasn't on MLS.

SPEAKER_01 11:13

Ah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 11:14

I called the agent, and yep, it was a lady that, you know, she wanted to get rid of her house. Um, and she already had done like the roof and the foundation. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

Ready to go. Where was it?

SPEAKER_00 11:29

Do you know where 410 and I don't remember the street called Star? Right before uh 35.

SPEAKER_01 11:41

410 and 35?

SPEAKER_00 11:42

Right before hitting 35. Starcraft?

SPEAKER_01 11:46

No.

SPEAKER_00 11:46

No, it's something uh anyway.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

Anyway, uh 410 and 35.

SPEAKER_00 11:51

It's like as soon as you get off, it's right there. Like right before you hit 35, though. Before I believe there's like a movie theater on 410, it's before the bridge. Anyways, well, it's in that little neighborhood, very peaceful, like no HOA. And and to tell you this, when we were not even done with the house when we sold it.

SPEAKER_01 12:16

Somebody was already got that's what happened with me. That's what happened with me too. Yeah, somebody came and they looked at it, and uh me and Simo were in there and we were um we were doing something, and he was like, I want this, I want this home. And I I told him, I already have offers on it. And and he was like, he was like, What do you want for it? And I was like, I wanted 250. And I was like, man, I was just like, uh, I don't, I was like, I want 250, and he was like, I'll give you the 250 right now. I said, but I haven't even put it on the market yet. I said, man, if you give me 260, you got a deal.

SPEAKER_00 12:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

And and he was like, I'll give it to you. So we were gonna do it, and uh during the inspection, he flaked out. So I ended up putting it on the market. But I almost, yeah, I almost had that.

SPEAKER_00 13:00

No, with this this couple was running in the on you know in the neighborhood because their parents lived there and they're from Houston. And they were just jogging, and he walked it. He's like, Let me bring my wife because we were doing the flooring, and he brings his wife, and sure enough, the parents end up calling us, they end up buying the house for them. It was so easy. Wow. But then the second one, oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 13:26

Remember you remember the Lackland one I did? Yes. That the one that I You know what's crazy about that?

SPEAKER_00 13:32

It's the it's the ones with the pools.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

That that too. God, I'm so stupid. And people were telling me to stay away from that one. And I was just like, nah, hell no. I'm like, this one's gonna be it. I wanted to keep it. You know, I wanted to keep it and turn it into an Airbnb. That was my master plan. Anyway, we'll get into that story later on. But you know, everything that you know now, obviously, you know, very, very successful career that you're that you're in now. What would you what would your advice be to young women that are trying to get into real estate now?

SPEAKER_00 14:07

I would I I think I would do it differently though.

SPEAKER_01 14:09

What would you do?

SPEAKER_00 14:10

I would get into a team.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

Ah, okay.

SPEAKER_00 14:13

I would join a team. Sure. Seriously, because I joined a team. A very successful team because you get to learn. You you have to you have to shadow, you have to learn from the best. You need a mentor. I feel exactly. Because in real estate, it's about how people do business, you know. Um we have a lot of, you know, hard hitters here in San Antonio. I would suggest if I knew better, I would have gone into a team.

SPEAKER_01 14:40

And what do you see that's happening right now?

SPEAKER_00 14:43

Because I feel, I feel I feel like when people talk real estate, they feel like, oh, you're gonna make so much money. You're gonna kick freaking ass, you know, like in it, I get it, but it's really hard. If you don't have leads, you don't have I mean, how are you supposed to how are you supposed to be in front of people when you when you first start, no one teaches you.

SPEAKER_01 15:09

Okay, yeah. So just because you're in real estate does not mean that you know how to build yourself systems, right? And if you don't have systems built in for you, which bro brokers teach you, teams teach you, yeah, exactly. Um, but it's it's a whole different ballgame when you're actually out there. Not to mention, so if you don't have systems and at the same time, this is what I think personally accountability, that and sales experience. Yeah, a lot of people are doing this stuff as a sale for their first time, right? They don't know what to say, what not to say, you know? Um and that's one of the things that has helped carry me that I've been in sales all my life, which is not to say people can't jump in and do it. A lot of people are just naturals, but they would have been naturals selling anything, you know what I'm saying? They just happen to sell real estate now, which is almost you know that that would be my advice to join a team, um, have a mentor.

SPEAKER_00 16:03

Um, even if your commission is not your 80. I was about to say that. Because at the end of the day, trust, you can go on your own after, you know. Right now it's learning, it's not about you know pocketing, it's about learning.

SPEAKER_01 16:18

Would you say that you have to pay for your education?

SPEAKER_00 16:20

Yes, absolutely. You're you're pouring into yourself.

SPEAKER_01 16:24

See, a lot of I say the kids, right? Because that's how they're young, right? A lot of the kids don't see it that way. Now, you know what they ask me? Well, what's the split? That's the first thing they ask me all the time. And I'm like, I it's crazy because I I remember when I was selling cars, I would say, like, we're gonna have this one, right? Or we're gonna do this and that. And they're like, Don't worry about it. They're like, don't worry about it, just go and get another one or whatever. And I'm like, no, no, no, no, no. My rants do, you know what I'm saying? So I I get it. I get where they're coming from and where their um, you know, where their eagerness is coming from, but at the same time, it's just kind of like a slow game.

SPEAKER_00 16:58

Yeah, you know, and and like I said, I mean it people paint real estate like it's easy and it's not like oh yeah, just a home and it's nine thousand dollars. You know, it's like no, yeah, there's a lot that goes into that. A lot, you know, a lot. Um, so my advice, like I said, join a team, a really good one. Learn, learn, learn, because you would you're gonna avoid a lot of mistakes. You will make mistakes, but you'll avoid big ones. Like, for example, one that I did was I lost earnest money because of the option period. My client was a thousand dollars. Mind you, to me, a thousand dollars was a lot of money at the time.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

I mean, it still is it is a lot of money, right?

SPEAKER_00 17:42

To lose, and especially when you're starting off in real estate, it's everything. I I had to pay my client, she didn't know that it came from out from my pocket, but I had to do it. I felt so bad because at the end she didn't want the house, and I already had gone. I thought it was day nine. No, it was already passed. And I didn't have a transaction coordinator.

SPEAKER_01 18:08

But you know, yeah, and of course, you know, everybody says this from you know the outside looking in or looking backwards, but those are the things that teach you, you know what I'm saying? Yes, those are like the the the the times that you get kicked in the ass that you really learn, you know, which suck, man. But it's just like it's just those those growing pains, yes, you know.